Apple clearly wants to improve its much-maligned Maps app, and it's apparently drawing from its vast financial resources to take the shortest route to improvement possible. How? It's trying to buy everyone who does it better (apart, of course, from Google). As Bloomberg reports, Apple acquired data firm Locationary this morning, and now word just came in that it's also planning to acquire the transit app HopStop.

Both choices reflect that Apple's trying to address two of the key criticisms of Apple Maps--namely, that the directions often send you blocks away from your intended destination and that it inexplicably omits public transit routes for some major cities. Based on our own experiences with HopStop in particular, the companies Apple's buying are good choices. Back in September, we even singled out HopStop as "A Free App to Help You Be Less Angry at Maps in iOS 6."

In Bloomberg's words, "HopStop shows users in more than 500 cities the fastest way to travel by foot, bike, subway and car; Locationary deploys real-time data from a variety of sources to help users find featured businesses." Bloomberg notes that its sources asked not to be identified since the HopStop deal wasn't public.

Previously Apple acquired Placebase, C3, and Poly9 ahead of the launch of iOS 6. That's now five acquisitions Apple's made in its attempt to make a map app that can stand up to Google--with these two, let's hope that Apple finally gets us where we want to go.